The Masked Woman
by Please Die
Summary: Who is the masked woman? Why is she here? What are her 'connections' to Severus? Where has Hermione dissappeared off to? SSHG


**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing! It makes me sad to think about it though…

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**The Masked Woman**

**By Dragon's Dreamss**

**Chapter I**

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            A woman wearing a dark midnight blue cloak sat among the shadows of the Hogwarts grounds. She was no ordinary woman, as she was sitting midair resting her back against a large the stone wall. Her hood covered her face completely; only her eyes showed through the darkness like small beacons of light. They seemed to have a strange aura… Mysterious one would say. They seemed to hold many secrets buried deep within them… Secrets that could alter the course of the future easily if told. The woman sighed and gazed off into the distance. The moon seemed larger tonight as if it was greeting her silently. It had been a long while since she had been at the grounds of Hogwarts. Oh, how she had missed it… She had been an outcast during her school days. Always too smart for anyone to fool with and always too dangerous for anyone to mess with. Yet, many of the boys at Hogwarts had crushes on her for her beauty and not for her sharp sense of humor or intelligent way of thinking. 

She sighed heavily. The fall breeze blew her hood off as she faced north. In front of her was the luminous moon and below, the shimmering waters of the Hogwarts Lake. To her right, the darkened forest and its hidden lies and forbidden pathways. To her left was a large open field, where the wind blew the tall blades of grass to the south. Behind her was the large magnificent castle. The stone it was built of was smooth, eroded by the winds and the rains it had seen through its many years of standing. She stood up, not on solid ground, but in the air… she seemed to float with ease. It looked as if she was walking on water. She walked off into to distance where it looked like the sky met the ground, the light meeting the day. The moonlight lit her face up, but there was a thin black mask that covered her face. Her long brown wavy hair flowed down her back almost liquid like. She turned around to gaze into the yellow tinted windows of the Great Hall. She slowly floated closer, her eyes becoming more and more intense with every step. Soon she had reached the window, her fingers slightly grazing the smooth glass. She could hear voices in the hall. They were muffled, but she could still pick out words. She could tell that it was Albus who was speaking for there was a laugh filling every word that was spoken.

"We… new professor… not here… will be soon…" She heard… she was late! Late for her first feast ever… damn! It's good to arrive fashionably late, her father had always told her with a chuckle. She smiled remembering him… He had died when she was only sixteen, but she could still remember the way his tone bounced with every smile and the way he used to ruffle her hair playfully. She missed him even more than usual. There was a dull thudding ache deep inside of her. She also missed _him._ She hadn't seen him in so many years. She knew that she had to leave him, but it still pained her for leaving. She slowly descended, pondering deeply. She walked to the Hogwarts doors through the dewy grass. She entered through the large wooden doors and walked through the many winding corridors to the Great Hall, her dragon scale boots clapping loudly with every graceful step. The dim light of the torches lit her face and the mask upon it. She pulled her hood back over her head in one fluid motion. With her head covered she continued along the passageways, only stopping briefly to greet a painting. Soon she arrived at the large doors that led into the expansive Great Hall. She swung them open and marched in, her midnight blue robes billowing dramatically behind her. She had an air of mystery that seemed to surround her. Many of the students stared at her in amazement out from under their pointed wizard's hats. The enchanted ceiling was not as beautiful as the sky outside. It didn't have the same warm feeling to it. There were tall torches with dancing flames as bright as the sun. At the Head Table, Albus stood up, wearing his lush red robe. His hair was more white than silver now and so was his long beard. He had a small smile on his face and his eyes were twinkling madly behind his half-moon glasses.

            "Ah, yes, students. It seems as if our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has arrived," he told the whole entire school body as she walked to the Head Table, her head held up high. The students were staring at their new professor in interest. She looked different and odd compared to the other teachers, but she seemed almost exactly like Snape. She reached the Head Table and sat down next to Albus. She sighed to herself as she gazed out upon the hundreds of students. "Would you all please welcome…?"

            "Professor Hermione Arcanus, if you will," she replied, matter of factly. Her voice was smooth and flowing like a stream. It seemed to fan out all through the Great Hall. Everyone clapped, exuberantly. Her welcoming was warmer than she had thought it would have been. She thought they would have stared blankly at her or boo her. She had always expected the worst after… the incident. She smiled out from under her shadowy hood. She looked down onto the Gryffindor table. Three familiar figures sat at the table. One had a mop of extraordinarily brilliant red hair. The other had a messy top of jet-black hair that seemed to stick out in all directions. The last one had a mass of frizzy curls, which Hermione knew one day would become long chestnut waves. A hand tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She turned to meet the person sitting next to her. He had long silky black hair pulled back into an elegant ponytail just at his nape. His eyes were dark green with small specks of brown and blue. He had a knowing smirk on his face. His lips were thin, but looked perfect, in Hermione's point of view. He had high cheekbones and a defined jaw. The man was wearing sweeping black robes, similar to her own. It was _him_…

            "Haven't we met before by any chance… you look rather familiar even with your hood pulled over your head," he said in a silky smooth voice that sent shivers down her back. It really was _him_… she had found him at last!

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**A/n: **Wow… that was fun! Do you like it? Please review… by the way… just guess who those three people were AND who the masked lady is! See ya next time!__


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